Improvement in steam-condensers



I 2 Shetty-sheet 2. ALFRED CML.'

improvement in Steam Condensers and in vSupplying Steam Generators withWater.

' Nuo, '119,811' Patented Oct.v10, 1871.

t I t' RN t I WML/al AM morn-umasmfH/v no. M x lossen/V53* moviss/UNITED STAT-Fs PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED CAIL, PARIS, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAMHCONDENSERS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,817, dated October10, 1871; antedated October 7, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED CAIL, engineer, of Paris, in the Empire ofFrance, have invented Improvements in Steam-Condensers and in SupplyingSteam-Generators with Water, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists principally in the use, in connection withsteam-engines and generators, of what I have termed an evaporatingcondenser, and also of certain arrangements, fully described hereafter,to be used in connection with the said condenser for the purpose ofproducing a thorough condensation of the exhaust steam and the returnofthe same in the form of distilled water to the generator. Theprincipal objects of my invention have been to produce a-n economicalcondensation of steam and to prevent the accumulation of calcareous andother deposits upon the interior of the generator, all of which will befully explained hereafter.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam-engine and generator with myimproved condenser and arrangement for supplying the generator withwater. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse sectionon the line 1 2, Fig. l.

A represents a tubular generator of ordinary construction, and B ahorizontal steam-engine with two cylinders coupled together upon asingle frame, which is xed to the top of the generator. The cylindershave a common escape-pipe, C, which communicates with a box or chest, D,there being two valves within the latter arranged so as to either permitthe exhaust steam to escape at once to the open air or to conduct it tothe condenser. A casing or reservoir, E, intended to receive the depositof oily or other matters drawn by the exhaust steam, is attached to thebox D, and from the top of the said reservoir the exhaust steam isconducted by a pipe, F to the evaporating-condenser G. The latterconsists, in the present instance, of a single row of communicatinghorizontal tubes laid one above the other 5 but two or more rows oftubes or an ordinary spiral coil may be substituted for thisarrangement, if desired. The evaporating-condenser communicates at thebottom with a small tubular condenser, H, consisting, as usual, of aseries of tubes surrounded by water, and intended to condense in itstubular drum the last portions of steam in contact with the tubes, acurrent of cold water passing through the latter.

The lower tube G of the evaporating-condenser is furnished, at a pointadjacent to the condenser H, with a cock, g, intended in case ofstoppage D as to permit the escape of the exhaust steam into the openair. I represents the horizontal air-pump, communicating with the bottomof the condenser H and performing the double duty. of maintaining avacuum in both condensers and of forcing the distilled waters ofcondensation into a reservoir, J, placed above it. The feedpump Kwithdraws the distilled water from the reservoir J through a pipe, L,and forces' it through a pipe, M, into the generator A. A cock, N, onthe pipe L regulates the supply of distilled water to the feed-pump. Orepresents a reservoir placed above the evaporatinglcondenser G, andsupplied with water to be used in the condensation of the steam. Thisreservoir should have a capacity at least equal to thel volume of watercontained in the generator. The water of the reservoir O is supplied toa distributing-pipe, R, arranged beneath the same by a return-pipe, P,which has at its lowest point a cock, Q, by which the communicationbetween the reservoir and distributing-pipe may be established orinterrupted, as required. rlhe pipe R is provided with a number ofcocks, S, arranged to regulate the supply of water to a horizontaltrough, T, which is perforatedl with a number of holes or otherwiseconstructed so as to discharge the water onto and over the exposed tubesof the evaporating-condenser in small streams or drops. The water, afterflowing over the tubes of the evaporating-condenser, is received into atank, U, an d withdrawn from the latter through a pipe, X, and returnedto the reservoir O through a pipe, Y. A valve, Z, in the pipe Xregulates the supply of water to the pump V. A pipe, a a, communicatingwith a tank, supplies the tubular condenser H with cold water, and thelatter, after passing through the tubes of the condenser, is conductedby a pipe, b, into the reservoir O to replace the water lost byevaporation.

in passing over the'tubes of condenser G. A stop-cock, c, in the pipe aregulates the supply of natural Water to the condenser H. A supply ofwater already purified and intended to take the place of the smallquantity lost in distillation is conducted into the receiver J by apipe, e, a cock, d, regulating this supply. i represents the tube ofescape from the box D to the open air, and to this tube and to the pipeb is connected a short pipe, l1., furnished with a cock, f. The objectof this latter arrangement is to enable a quantity of Water to beconducted into the tube fi and upon the valve closing the passage to theopen air, a hydraulic `joint being thus formed and all entrance of airinto the condenser prevented. The reservoir O above the evaporatingcondenser and the tank U beneath the same are furnished Withoveriiow-pipes j and k. The deposits of water in the reservoir E `may bewithdrawn from the same from time to time by the Water-pump V through apipe, z', Fig. 2. When the generator is to be cleansed or repaired allof the distilled water may be drawn from the same through a pipe, m, andbe preserved in the reservoir O, the pressure of steam in the generatorforcing out the water on opening a cock, l, in the dischargepipe. TheWater thus preserved in the reservoir O can be returned to the generatorthrough the pipes o and on on opening the cock a. `(See Fig. 3.)

The operation of the condensing apparatus is as follows: The exhauststeam from the cylinders passes rst through the pipe C, which is madepurposely of large section so as not to obstruct its passage; thenthrough the box D, res ervoir E, and pipe F, in the course indicated bythe arrows, to the uppermost tube of the evaporating-condenser Gr. Thesteam then passes through the latter and into the immersed tubular drumor condenser H, which communicates with the air-pump I, the lattermaintaining a vacuum in both condensers and withdrawing the water ofcondensation from the same and forcing it into the receiver J, fromwhich it is withdrawn and fed to the boiler by means of the feed'pump K.The trough T above the evaporating-condenser discharges its water in athin sheet or in drops over the exterior of the condensing-tubes, whichare thus completely enveloped, the cooling Water being constantlysupplied to the trough by the cocks S of the distributing-pipe, so as tomaintain a constant ruiming upon the tubes, through the interior ofwhich the exhaust steam is passing. This causes a rapid passage of heatfrom the exhaust steam to the water running over the tubes, which waterevaporating in the free air or under the accelerating action of a cur-`rent of ascending air leads to a very active cooling and condensation ofthe exhaust steam, which condensation is necessarily completed in thetubular condenser H, above referred to. The stream thus brought to thecondition of distilled water is drawn by the air-pump into the receiverJ, and from the latter is forced into the generator, 'as beforedescribed. The generator, after having been once iilled, is suppliedwith distilled water, so that it suffers no longer from incrustations,and preserves its metallic surfaces clear of all foreign matters, suchas calcareous salts, Ste. The boiler consequently maintains its power ofcalorific transmission, which manifests itself' so plainly in a newgenerator, and which diminishes gradually until it amounts toconsiderable differences, coniirmed by an enormous increase ofconsumption of fuel in proportion as the calcareous deposits appear uponits surfaces.

Another important result is obtained by my invention in regard to thepurication of natural water. As it is very difcult, practically, torecover in water distilled by the condensation of escaped steam all thewater consumed in the generator in the creation of steam, and while thelosses resulting from the waste might require a replacing of the Water,which must be taken from the natural Water of the locality which is moreor less impregnated with calcareous or other foreign matter, itis ofgreat importance to guard against introducing this water into thegenerator in its impure state. In my arrangement the natural water isiirst thrown into the evaporatin gcondenser and deposits there the mostof its calcareous salts. It is then collected in a reservoir, servinghenceforth as feed-Water for the generator. Thus, in an arrangement of,this kind, it will be seen that it will only require the water of thelocality to be used at the rst time of starting. For being careful topreserve this valuable store of purified Water the apparatus is soarranged that in case of stoppage, for any cause whatever, the generatormay be emptied, the water contained therein being thrown by the pressureof steam into an elevated reservoir, where it is kept for future use, itbeing caused to descend again into the generator when operations areresumed. Finally, that no precautions be neglected to avoid using thewater in its natmal state, even upon the very day of starting thegenerator, (which would be apt to produce upon the heating-surfaces verypercept ible incrustations,) it is recommended that arrangements be madefor the collection and employment of rain water to be used for feedingthe generator.

To resume,by the above arrangement and com bination, never before usedin this connection, has been realized the double desideratum-anapparatus for the production of steam which will not suffer from thedeplorable effects of incrustations, and economy in the consumption ofsteam from good condensing apparatus Without being obliged to use thegreat quantities of water which ordinary immersing andinjecting-condensers require.

It should be understood that I reserve the right of applying myinvention to all engines to be used on land or at sea, includingtraction engines and locomotives.

I do not claim, broadly, a Well or reservoir to collect the waterpassing from the condenser; nor a pump to raise the water from the welland discharge it again over the condenser; nor the reservoir forcollecting the water prior to discharging the same on the condenser, assuch devices, separately, have heretofore been used 5 but I claim- 1.The combination, with the conden sing-tubes, arranged substantially asdescribed, of the tanks O and U, pipes X and Y, and Water-pump V, as setforth.

2. The combination of the said condenser G and reservoir O withdistributing-pipe It and perforated trough T, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination of the eVaporating-oondenser Gr with the condenser H,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the oondensers G and H with the air-pump I,reservoir J, and feed-pump K, substantially as speoiied.

5. The combination of the connecting-pipe e, the pipe Y, and reservoirJ, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the box D, reservoir E: condenser G, pipes F,escape-pipe z', and valvepipe h, all as set forth.

7. The pipe h With its cook f, arranged sub- ALFRED GAIL. [L. s]

Witnesses:

EMILE RICHARD, v ADoLPHE BissoN. (150)

